#they’ve taken on this weird new role where Cartman takes it upon himself to console kenny in addition to stringing hm along in his schemes

[victimized-martyr]

Do you think Kenny actually likes cartman? I’m not so sure since the reading of his will in s9e4 (https://youtu.be/QGx92r8NLIM)

I feel like nobody likes him but Kyle is the only one who thinks he can possibly get better at all.

I agree on some level with that last statement. Due to Kyle's morals and complicated attachment to Cartman, he would be the only one willing to nurture the potential Cartman has, though I'd say Cartman isn't universally hated as one would assume. I think Kenny and Cartman's friendship deepened off screen since s9. It shows itself strongly in the covid specials and post-covid (not post covid the special, I mean like.. after the actual irl covid and.. ARGH mattrey u make my life so difficult)     

      Kenny was the one to approach Cartman about the fragility of the broship and inspires Cartman to be the one to make sure the gang stays together. That's a level of openness and vulnerability that frankly, I haven't seen him share with Stan or Kyle. Quite the opposite in fact-- When Kenny finally admits he's immortal, Stan and Kyle dismiss him in their own way. Neither have made the move to sympathize with him since, especially at the level Cartman does in the covid episodes. Now, Cartman's "sympathetic" method of coddling Kenny wasn't the best thing to do I'd say, the show was clear  Stan, Kyle and Cartman weren’t handling the broship fallout well, but Cartman definitely proved himself as the “best friend” the show has claimed he’s been in prioritizing Kenny during Covid. We even get a verbal reminder from Cartman and Kyle in Post-Covid that despite it being the literal worst future for everyone, Cartman and Kenny’s friendship thrived. With the opposite lives they lead, it's astounding they remained best friends for forty years.

That level of loyalty is kicking Stan and Kyle in the dirt and laughing rn. Look at Dikinbaus! Cartman and Kenny had a blast “planning the business” (ie living it up as owners and mutually taking advantage of Butters to just pal around) and Cartman once again concedes to Kenny when he lets him work from home. It’s a gag first and foremost, but still, I think it works as part of character analysis lolol. I’m analyzing this a lot from Cartman’s perspective, or at least his actions, but I don’t rlly have much to go by on Kenny’s end and I hope y’all can see why lol. excluding the Mysterion arc and the s22 Halloween episode, he’s a passive character. things rly just are happening to this dude. 

Cartman's attachment to Kenny has grown exponentially since the early seasons ("I hate yew guys/ specially kinny/ ah hate em the most/") whereas we've heard directly from Kenny what he thought of Cartman at the time s9 was written but we don't really know what he thinks of Cartman presently. Now, mattrey have written Kenny's quietness and frequent disappearances as part of the charm of his character--the mysteriousness with a pinch of hidden sadness, maybe a dash of loneliness--and not like, a serious writing pitfall of not knowing what to do with one of your main characters, not giving them the chance to let the audience see their motivations. So the uncertainty surrounding Kenny's true opinions, in this case of his friendship with Cartman, isn't by accident. I'd say it's fair to assume Kenny now views Cartman as a best friend, given how much Cartman has done for him.

I’d also say it’s fair to assume the pity for Cartman hasn’t changed.

#asks #south park #eric cartman #kenny mccormick #kennman #sure this could be seen as kennman why not lol #now Kyle believes cartman can change and maybe kenny can see it too but kenny definitely isn’t proactive enough to put in the effort to #see it thru #Kenny’s friendship with Cartman has grown to become the least tumultuous of the m4 #so Kenny doesn’t need to feel compelled to search for the food in cartman. he already sees in in their friendship #on a writing level it’s just… off to have Cartman and Kenny go thru so much only for Kenny to still have the same opinions of Cartman in s9 #they’ve taken on this weird new role where Cartman takes it upon himself to console kenny in addition to stringing hm along in his schemes #ohh but as much as i’ve said that kyle sees good in cartman and wants to be the one to help see that goodness come to fruition #it’s also try that as of s20 Kyle’s been disillusioned #he told heidi ‘Cartman will never change’ and I think that was a wake up call for himself as much as it was for heidi #when cartman gave up the pangolin all kyle said was ‘i don’t believe it’ #when cartman said he converted kyle refused to give cartman a chance even at the end of the special #s7 kyle would’ve clung to the promise of cartman changing with rosy eyes full of hope #that hope for cartman ain’t dead but dormant rn. the heiman arc rly burnt him out #Cartman get off ur ass and win Kyle back pls he’s so done w/ u rn my guy he will Nope himself out of stories now so he won’t deal w/ u #(kyle’s absence in streaming wars was rly felt) #wait in streaming wars kyle had a ‘he can change 🥺’ moment when he went ‘🥺’ for cartman when talkin abt the surgery #he was on everyone’s case abt the surgery he was on top of managing cartman’s boat building quality #but yeah cartman ended up taking the money for himself and. now we’re fuckin back to square one :)) #although i’d say in streaming wars cartman didn’t withhold the deets on the surgery on purpose. he didn’t know what was going on #when he went to talk to the guys and he was genuine. #A​NAYWAYS FUCK OK STOP TALKING EPSERANZA GOD